Dale County Jail Escape Attempt Update

A Dale County jailer is out of intensive care after a jail riot sent him to the hospital with serious injuries.

The sheriff's office is still repairing damage to the jail. They don't know how much it will cost, but they do know they'll be making some changes in departmental policy.

Katoni Tillis and Kent Stewart tried to escape the Dale County Jail last Friday. Both have a history of felonies, but now they face another charge, attempted murder. They assaulted three correction officers, sending one to intensive care.

"If it weren't for two of the trustees, Maurice Reese and Jonny Knight, that pulled them into the cell and shut the door, I think we would have been dead today," says Matthew Davidson, a close family member to a victim.

"Mr. Tillis was sentenced Friday. I believe he was sentenced to a lengthy sentence for robbery first. From what I gathered, where he actually assaulted a man with the ball bat," says Dale County Sheriff, Wally Olson.

At the time of the incident, the jail wasn't overcrowded or understaffed. There were three guards on staff, which is the full staff but maybe not for long. Sheriff Olson says he plans to talk with the county commission to see if he can get more money to hire more people. The sheriff's office had already set a date to hold training courses to certify its correction officers before this incident began.

The Alabama Bureau of Investigation is looking into the disturbance. Additional inmates could face charges in the coming days.

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